Ace of Spades HQ

November 30, 2007

Evel Knievel Dead At Age 69
— DrewM.

He was an X-Games guy long before there was an X-Games.

Posted by: DrewM. at 12:37 PM | Comments (42)
Post contains 23 words, total size 1 kb.

May his shattered body finally feel no pain.

Any man brave/stupid/crazy enough to try and jump a rocket powered "sky-cycle" over a river canyon gets my respect.

http://weirdscifi.ratiosemper.com/evelknievel/canyon.html

Posted by: theBman at November 30, 2007 12:42 PM (/vN7m)

2 I feel old.

Posted by: Jay Stranahan at November 30, 2007 12:47 PM (zMBn5)

3 That is going to leave a mark.

Posted by: AndrewsDad at November 30, 2007 12:50 PM (u+Nop)

He had been in failing health for years, suffering from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable condition that scarred his lungs.

Sad for him to go out like that. I always imagined explosion and fire would be involved. RIP

Posted by: toby928 at November 30, 2007 12:53 PM (evdj2)

5 The skycycle. Hee. I remember that disaster. That was like a Wile E. Coyote episode on crack.

Posted by: JackStraw at November 30, 2007 12:54 PM (t+mja)

One of the last of the bad ass's R.I.P.

Yeah, I feel old also.

Posted by: fireman1 at November 30, 2007 12:57 PM (btv6n)

7 In the late 80s I stayed in a hotel in Chicago while I was doing a show there and he was in the next suite, got to shake his hand in passing. Grizzled old coot even then but still extremely cool in my eyes.
RIP dude.

Posted by: mbruce at November 30, 2007 01:05 PM (LLCm9)

Let this be a lesson to all of you: Never make peace with Kanye.

Posted by: The Comish (sic) at November 30, 2007 01:07 PM (n8HhO)

9 He's jumping angels now.

Angels on fire, floating in a shark tank.

Posted by: Techie at November 30, 2007 01:15 PM (AV8Z6)

10 damn. RIP Evel.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at November 30, 2007 01:21 PM (FXakj)

11 I had a poster of him in my room when I was a kid. About the 5th E.R. visit convinced me that I would never make it in his world. Perhaps the Black Flag should be at half-mast?

Posted by: hutch1200 at November 30, 2007 01:44 PM (cRsIQ)

"Every now and then, life demands a truely stupid and futile gesture"

Rest in Peace Evil.... you've made us all proud to be men.

Posted by: Lokki at November 30, 2007 01:47 PM (wSBsc)

13
Hope he hooks up with the Crocodile Hunter up there in the Great Beyond. I'm sure they'd have stories to tell over tall glasses of Fosters.

Posted by: Electric Ferret at November 30, 2007 01:56 PM (LVXtM)

14 Angels on fire, floating in a shark tank.

And the sharks have laser beams on their heads.

F'n lasers.

Posted by: OregonMuse at November 30, 2007 02:36 PM (JpJT3)

15 Shit. My first childhood hero. Wrecked a couple bike tires jumping irrigation ditches in homage to the man. And earned a few scars as well. RIP...

Posted by: PaleoMedic at November 30, 2007 02:48 PM (xirX/)

16 Remember his GRAND CAYON JUMP that must have realy gotten the enviromenalists wackos upset

Posted by: Spurwing Plover at November 30, 2007 02:48 PM (4yJRe)

17 I too figured his death would have involved him careening into something or exploding.

Posted by: chrisbg99 at November 30, 2007 03:03 PM (W0OEx)

18 Flyin' Brian saw him in a bar once in Vegas and asked to shake his hand. He not only shook his hand but he bought all Brian's drinks the rest of the night.
Brian said he was an interesting, humble guy.

Posted by: Retired Geezer at November 30, 2007 03:08 PM (NY5Ul)

19 Evel was a Viking and his funeral ought to be a Viking funeral.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at November 30, 2007 03:32 PM (hfyfI)

As a 12 year old, I remember riding my bike as fast as possible up a ramp 16' long and about 3' high. Crashed and knocked out my front tooth. No broken bones though. I wonder how many dentists and doctors have made their living off of stupid kids copying him. To loosely paraphrase AC/DC, "I've got big balls
I've got big balls
They're such big balls
And they're dirty big balls
And he's got big balls
And she's got big balls
(But Evil Knievel, you've got the biggest balls of them all)

R.I.P.

Posted by: sirsurfalot at November 30, 2007 03:33 PM (Czvjx)

21 Evel Knievel had no rivals.. when does that ever happen? Name a sport where one person stands so far above the rest of the crowd that not one person could claim to be a competitor.

Top Fuel Drag? The Mongoose vs The Snake.

Motocross? Roger DeCoster vs Hurricane Hanna.

Astronauts? Alan Shepherd vs Chuck Yeagar. ;P

Tennis? Bobby Riggs vs Billy Jean-King. Holy cow .. was that great theater or what?

Golf? Palmer vs Nicklaus.

NFL? Stabler & Bradshaw.

Boxing? Ali vs Fraser.

Stock Car? Foyt vs. Unser

Basketball? Jordan Vs exception that proves the rule. ;P

Posted by: 13times at November 30, 2007 04:05 PM (7xpEA)

22 I feel old too. I had my little Evel stunt cycle, my Evel light that spun...

Man, he was a fuckin hero to me.

And my Dad is only a year older, born in 39.

Getting old sucks, dying sucks.

fucking life...you suck life, you sonofabitch.

Same to you Robby Knievel for faking that jump, ya bastid.

I'm seriously numb. Gonna get plowed this entire weekend for Evel.

I mean, he broke someone's arms just for talking bad about him...

That's serious manly shit.

RIP my man...God I feel bad about this. And old.

Posted by: E Buzz Miller-Booth at November 30, 2007 04:11 PM (v/XJX)

23 There was Don Garlits vs. the Snake.

the Golden Age of drag racing...

There was Craig Breedlove vs. Richard Noble...

The US government has done a great job of sucking the life out of life.

Posted by: E Buzz Miller-Booth at November 30, 2007 04:13 PM (v/XJX)

24 Are they going to shoot his ashes over the Grand Canyon?

Posted by: Lipstick at November 30, 2007 04:28 PM (3y+L6)

25 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OALRqs06PGI

the Super Stunt Dirt Bike.

Man...

Posted by: E Buzz Miller-Booth at November 30, 2007 04:34 PM (v/XJX)

26 Thank you for putting "age" in the headline. I saw one on CNN earlier that said "Evel Knievel Dies at 69" and all I could think was, "The Ceasar's Palace jump didn't kill him, but 69 did? I'll be damned."

Posted by: Ted K. at November 30, 2007 04:37 PM (bSYU0)

27 Times like these are ugly reminders that we will come to the end of our days at some point.

I can only hope that my life will be as full of fun and adventure as Knievel's was.

RIP. You were an inspiration and influence on more lives than you could have ever imagined.

Posted by: Aye Chihuahua at November 30, 2007 04:48 PM (p4GgM)

28 Man, he was such a Bad Ass. I thought he was gonna live forever.

Posted by: GrumpyUnk at November 30, 2007 04:58 PM (kCcgJ)

29 I have been going through exercises in mortality in my mind.

It sucks so bad. It is really a good thing when we a younguns we don't give a thought to our perishing.

And that is cuz it is a really heavy thing to think about...eternity...the earth is how old...it survived without us...it will go on when we are gone to wherever, nothingness...we are mortal.

And Evel took us away from that thinking.

I know I was a nut with his influence, jumping BMX and just doing really, really,. insane shit with Big Wheels.

It is really a good thing we can't ponder eternity when we are young.

This really hits home...and it sucks.

Can't say it enoguh the Evel was the man.

Posted by: E Buzz Miller-Booth at November 30, 2007 05:14 PM (v/XJX)

Evel Knievel had no rivals

What about Super Dave Osborne?

Posted by: eman at November 30, 2007 05:17 PM (NPwKI)

31 Super Dave was a piker compared to Evel.

Posted by: E Buzz Miller-Booth at November 30, 2007 05:39 PM (v/XJX)

32 I know, like evreyone else here, that catching a handlebar to the gut or busting an old bike frame was a badge of honor. How many times did we limp away bleeding from yet another crash, soothed by only our friends cheering and saying things like "wow, you face went into the ground sooooo hard". Small sacrifices to the "God of Motorcycle flight". The freestyle movement hadn't happened, and the only thing I wanted was bigger jumps, and stronger frames, but you couldn't weld cast iron. Man they would hurt you when they flew apart during a hard landing failure. I remember how they would bust in half and the front would be held to the back by the chain. As you slid along, both ends would beat you to death as you slid on your head. Much the same way "safety" straps on skis of the day did, before " brakes". "Bones heal, chicks dig scars and the USA has the best doctor to daredevil ratio in the world."

Posted by: hutch1200 at November 30, 2007 06:03 PM (cRsIQ)

33 I once wrecked and the asphalt burned through my OP shirt and through my skin...quite a way...

SO many stories pop into my head of going for it...all because of Evel.

It's not abd thing, it is growing up as s young kid in the 70s defying death with your trusty BMX bike...no matter what the make, you go for it because that is what you do, you push it...

And without a helmet...or net.

Posted by: E Buzz Miller-Booth at November 30, 2007 06:17 PM (v/XJX)

34 Best book ever written about 1960-70's dirt biking/bench racing - Monkey Butt by Rick Sieman.

http://www.superhunky.com/SuperHunkyLinkIndex.html

Suzuki TM400 Cyclone
The Most Dangerous Dirt Bike Ever Built?

Posted by: 13times at November 30, 2007 08:24 PM (7xpEA)

35 I spent a llittle part of the evening thinking about the pieces of shit bikes I rode. Broken and rusty chain guard mounts with sharp metal protruding from where you ripped them off. This of course led to your jeans getting caught in the chain at the worst possible moments. Bald tires with cord showing from doing skid stops with coasterbrakes. No reflectors. Seats and handlebar mounts that could no longer be tightened to hold a position without flopping around. Nobody wore helmets. And the most important part.............The older guys at the local "service staion" that would lube your chain, fix your bent handlebars back a little, fill/change your bald tires, put lock tight on loose blots and teach you how to put graphite in the bearings. Yes, to a young boy, that was freedom. The whole world was mine to explore from breakfast 'til dinner. I think the gas station guys were just a little jealous as they watched us ride away. I've taught my sons (3&7) that the world is theirs to explore, and it helped get the training wheels off a little sooner. But with child molesters/murderers and my neighbors who do 50 on the 65 mph highway, and 50 on the 25 mph residential streets, I just don't know if my world is the same as theirs. I wear a peanut shell on my Harley because I have to set an example. They are required to wear a helmet now, whereas I'm not required to. The neighbors gasp when they see a 3 year old with a peanut shell with a sticker that says "Helmet Laws Suck". Hey, the kid stold they sticker from me. Good times.. I hope they find the love of Freedom on a Bicycle we all found as innocent kids. And I pray all our children can do it safely.

Posted by: hutch1200 at November 30, 2007 10:47 PM (cRsIQ)

36 P.S. I know nothing about that jump the kids have hidden under the deck!

Posted by: hutch1200 at November 30, 2007 10:51 PM (cRsIQ)

37 Evel Knievel was one of a kind. Fearless. His whole life screamed "America- Fuck Yeah!"

Posted by: Barry in CO at November 30, 2007 11:33 PM (aJtCl)

The best bikes to jump back then were teh Stingray style with the banana seat. In the even of dire emergency (missed turn - cliff ahead) you could push down on the front of that seat and eject off the back.

Many a time I hit the loud handle and let the bike go where no human body could have come back.

Posted by: Mikey NTH at December 01, 2007 05:08 AM (xzmT0)

Eel Knievl Dead at 69:

And orthopedists all over the nation are suddenly calling their financial advisors to make sure that their Jaguars and McMansions are nearly paid for.

Posted by: Terry at December 01, 2007 06:34 AM (1yubU)

40 Yes, Super Dave Osborne was a rival for Evel Knivel, but he never quite managed to succeed quite so often.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at December 01, 2007 09:32 AM (hfyfI)

41 I HAD EVERY EVEL KNIEVEL TOY PLUS I HAD REPLICA BICYCLE.
AND, HOMEMADE SUITE I THOUGHT I WAS EVEL!
HE WILL BE MISSED SO HOW I WISH I HAD IT ALL BACK.
RIP EVEL

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